Oleh/By		:	DATO' SERI DR. MAHATHIR BIN MOHAMAD 
Tempat/Venue 	:  
Tarikh/Date 	: 	01/07/91 
Tajuk/Title  	: 	DINNER OF PRESIDENT CARLOS 
			SAUL MENEM 



 
Your Excellency President Carlos Saul Menem;
Distinguished Guests;
Ladies and Gentlemen.
     First    of     all   let   me   say how delighted I am
to be here in   Argentina.  I   have  heard    much    about
Argentina's   rich   history,  its  riches,  its  beauty and
its    many    accomplishments.    Therefore   I   look for-
ward   to   this   visit,   my     first     to   Argentina.
Although  my  visit to Argentina is a short one, it promises
to be very eventful and productive.
2.   I must also express my sincere appreciation to you  Mr.
President  and  to your government for the very warm welcome
and gracious hospitality that has been extended to  my  wife
and  I and members of my delegation.  I am also particularly
pleased for the opportunity to meet with you  again  and  to
renew  the  contacts  we  first established when you visited
Kuala Lumpur last year for the G-15 summit.
Mr. President,
3.   Malaysia and Argentina established diplomatic relations
in 1964.  Though we have cooperated  well  in  international
fora,  our  bilateral  relations  have until recently lacked
substance.   But this is now  changing.    There  is  now  a
greater  realisation  that  while our trade and consequently
our economic  health  may  depend  on  the  markets  of  the
industrialised  countries,  there  is much to be gained from
closer collaboration with other developing countries.
4.   Mr. President, I am sure you will  agree  with  me  the
G-15  process has already begun to germinate greater cooper-
ation and exchanges amongst its members.  There is now  also
a  greater consciousness of the potential of South-South co-
operation and trade.
5.   Like you, I am keen to exploit the  full  potential  of
economic cooperation between our two countries in the spirit
of South-South cooperation.  The Malaysian market is open to
Argentinian  products  ranging  from  machinery to wheat and
beef.  Some Argentinian companies are already doing well  in
Malaysia.   A few turnkey projects are also being discussed.
The Malaysian economy is set to grow at around 8% this year.
There will thus be a great demand  for  goods  and  services
which  Argentina  can  help  supply.   On our part we have a
whole range of goods and services to offer  as  well.    The
more  than sixty Malaysian businessmen who have come with me
to Argentina is an indication both of our commitment to eco-
nomic cooperation and to the potential for trade.
Mr. President,
6.   Our efforts to strengthen bilateral relations and  eco-
nomic  cooperation  comes  at an opportune time.  There is a
growing trend towards economic regionalism in the world  to-
day.    In  Europe  and  in North America trading blocs have
taken shape.  Though based on laudable  principles  of  free
trade  their  actions  are  often at variance with what they
preach.  I appreciate that economic imperatives may make  it
necessary  for  Argentina and other South American countries
to be associated with these groupings in order to  have  ac-
cess  to  trade,  investments and economic cooperation.   We
wish you every success.  Your success will be  good  for  us
just  as our success will be good for you.  I hope, however,
that this will not lead to a diminution of the mutually ben-
eficial ties that this region has with East Asia.  With  its
high  growth  rates  which average between 7 to 10 per cent,
East Asia represents an important economic focus  for  South
America.  I hope, therefore, that closer ties with East Asia
will be an intrinsic part of any South American strategy for
economic growth and development.
7.   For East Asia free trade is absolutely essential to de-
velopment and growth.  The East Asian nations will thus con-
tinue  to  be  open  to  free  trade and receptive to closer
interaction with South America.    The  East  Asia  Economic
Group  or EAEG that is now being discussed within ASEAN will
help uphold free trade and promote economic inter-dependence
between regions.  On the basis of our discussions  today,  I
must  say  that I am greatly encouraged by the prospects for
cooperation not only between  our  two  countries  but  also
amongst developing countries as a whole.
8.   On  that  note  of optimism, may I once again thank you
for receiving me and my delegation with such warmth and hos-
pitality.  May I now propose a toast to  you  Mr.  President
and to the friendship between Malaysia and Argentina.